By boat, N. Korean musicians arrive in South for Olympic gig

A shipload of North Korean musicians, singers and dancers arrived in South Korea on Tuesday to perform at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The arrival of the Mangyongbong 92 cruise ship was met by hordes of reporters and cameramen — and a small but boisterous protest by a group of South Koreans who oppose the last-minute agreement allowing North Korea to join in the games, which open on Friday.

The ship carried members of the Samjiyon Band, an orchestra with vocalists and dancers that is headed by one of North Korea’s best-known singers, Hyon Song Wol.

The ship will be used as lodging for the group, at least initially, before they move on to a performance in Seoul on Sunday. It’s a convenient way for North Korean officials to keep closer control over the delegation and limit its exposure to South Korean “ideological contamination.”